Albert Braz The execution of the Anglo-Canadian expansionist Thomas Scott by Louis Riel’s Red River provisional government on March 4, 1870 is one of the most calamitous acts in Canadian history. In his 1912 Reminiscences, the one-time Liberal finance minister Richard Cartwright estimated that, from a monetary point of view alone, “the volley that killed Scott cost Canada more than… Read more »
Matthew McRae The City of Winnipeg recently tore down the Thomas Scott Memorial Orange Hall, located in the city’s historic Exchange District. News coverage about the demolition has focused a lot on the loss of architectural heritage. This is important, but it’s only one part of the story. There’s also the story of who the building is named after: Thomas… Read more »
A controversy has erupted over the past week surrounding how Canadians should remember Louis Riel, a 19th century Métis who not only led the 1869 Red River and 1885 Northwest Rebellions, but also negotiated the terms for Manitoba’s entry into Confederation in 1870 before his execution in 1885 for high treason. In a pamphlet posted online last December, Edmonton East… Read more »
